There's still time

There's still time to visit the Making Connections exibition by members of Midlands Textile Forum at Forge Mill Needle Museum in Redditch.  It's on until 4pm on Sunday June 2nd.

Here's a glimpse of some of the pieces you can see there.

I have 4 pieces on display.  Venice related.  Of course!

Stones of Venice

Three of the pieces are in display cabinets and really difficult to photograph so here they are at home!

O Sole  Mio

Not a book

Vennice Sketchbook

Do let me know if you go to see the exhibition.

I will be there on June 2nd from 1pm as one of the artists at a Meet the Artist session.  Hope to see you there.

Thanks for joining me today
Bernice

More creative writing

This week was Theme Poetry with Sara-Jane Arbury.  She always starts with a warm up exercise.

This week's idea was Litter-ature.  Sara-Jane suggested some ways we could approach this topic.  I was very taken with her comment that litter is something else before it becomes litter.  It's only litter once it leaves our hands and hits the floor and is left there.

Michael Walter on Unsplash

The Question

Why did it go wrong?
I was held upright
without thorns, bud ready.
Pinkish-red, tall, proud.
A token of love.
He held me, sniffed
my heady perfume
ready to fall to his knees
and ask his question. 

Where did it go wrong?
I was thrown to the ground.
She trod on me
twisting her foot.
No longer tall and proud
but torn apart
petals strewn across the path
As tears fell down his face. 

The theme for this online session was Sand and Peat.  Sara-Jane gave us a presentation about these and introduced us to three poems.  Then it was our turn.

Shoreline

Shape shifting
reality not CGI.
Shape shifters.
Dunes wind-blown
to angles of repose.
Miniscule crystals slide
unwillingly
transposed from height
to shore
meeting the encroaching tide.
Dragged back and forth
the grains grinding
against each other.
Eventually deposited
by the highest tide.
Dried out and wind-blown
reach the summit
to settle again in that
angle of repose.
Waiting
for the next
unwilling glide

Thanks for joining me today
Bernice

Creative Writing

At my church I facilitate a group for those who enjoy creative writing.  I set up the group at the beginning of Lockdown 1 on Zoom.   We have remained meeting on zoom most months.

Recently we had our second in-person get-together.  I set us the task of writing on either the theme of River or Lost and/or Found.

In my recent posts on travelling around Wiltshire you might remember I mentioned the problems I had with the satnav.  This inspired my 15 minute piece of writing.

LOST/FOUND 

The satnav screen showed an arrow ploughing through farmers’ fields. Running parallel to the A road the car was actually travelling on. Sometimes there was just a grid. Totally lost. Not knowing where I was. No signs. Just following the ribbon of tarmac in the fond hope I was travelling north and would eventually arrive at my destination. 

‘Turn left onto Friday Street.
Do a U-turn and continue on Friday Street.
Go South East on Friday Street.
Turn right and continue on Friday Street.’ 

The satnav’s voice seemed to get more anxious as it blurted out a stream of nonsensical instructions. At any moment I thought it was going to self-destruct. 

And just as it seemed on the verge of giving up, the voice calmly said:
‘At the roundabout take the second exit and stay on the A342.’ 

At last, the satnav had found its way. 

 

Thanks for joining me today
Bernice